UAI issues ‘Beyond a Reasonable Doubt’ research series on ethanol

The Urban Air Initiative has announced the release of its “Beyond a Reasonable Doubt” research series, which digs into the history, science and the public policy behind how we fuel our vehicles and aims to help readers understand the full scope of why ethanol is being limited from protecting public health.

The research series opens by stressing “there is a war going on over what you put in your vehicle’s gas tank.”

The problem, according to the UAI, is that most gasoline is made up of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent various petroleum products—and “a large portion of those petroleum products are classified as highly toxic carcinogens that can lead to real health issues and negative effects on the environment.” Those carcinogens, the UAI explains, are called aromatics and include benzene, toluene and xylene.

While the UAI said Congress has tasked the U.S. EPA with “getting rid of as much of the bad stuff in gasoline as possible,” toxic aromatics still make up at least 25 percent of gasoline—and sometimes as much as 40 percent. “This is not necessary, considering these is a cleaner, readily available alternative in biofuels like ethanol,” said the UAI in the research series. “Biofuels are homegrown products that support rural America and reduce the need for aromatics, which improves tailpipe emissions and the air we all breathe.”

Within the research series, the UAI calls on members of the public to demand change. “If we do not challenge the bad science and misinformation being spread about biofuels, we will be forced to continue using gasoline with toxic aromatics.”